Joystick Idea... Has it been done? .....Am I stupid?

[Organic Jerk]

Being that I used to be a big FPS fan (Doom - Quake2), I naturally wanted to find some way to put an FPS on my setup...  I have Doom set up without mouselook which works pretty damn good, but setting up any more advanced fps's would be pointless..

Then I saw the fairly new Half Life 2 arcade setup and it got me thinking...
http://arimanoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/halflife_arcade.jpg

What do you guys think about a bat-top analog joystick that has a pop-top and opens to a button (ultimately transforming into a topfire).

Using two of these could work as FPS controls, plus as singular joysticks they would be rather multi-purpose, no?


Anyone with technical ingenuity like the idea?

[Kaytrim]

I don't know about the hidden topfire button but you might want to wait for Randy to release his new joystick.  Maybe in the next week or two.

[Organic Jerk]

So no interest, huh... oh well.   Seems like a cool idea to me, especially for those like me who would like to use topfire sometimes but doesnt want to sacrifice a standard joystick shape for normal games.

I don't know about the hidden topfire button but you might want to wait for Randy to release his new joystick.  Maybe in the next week or two.

Well the topfire button was the real reason I suggested it, as an easy access button for firing and such.

[lanman31337]

i think that idea would be pretty awesome!

[johnperkins21]

I think your idea would be better if you had a cap as opposed to a flip-top. I imagine that little flap would get in the way of some hard core gaming action, but if you could get some sort of cap that either screwed or snapped on you could move it out of the way. Then you run the risk of losing that small piece though.

Sometimes it's just better to build an extra cab. 

[lanman31337]

I know I know, have it so if you rotate the joystick, you can slide the top down and the button comes up!  Then if you don't want the button there, lift and tighten the bat and you're golden.

[TheAdMan]

A couple things to consider - if the button was a standard arcade button, the joystick would have to be quite large  to encase the entire button, a smaller button may be a better way to go.

As far as a cap goes, twist-off seems like a good idea - but I'm pretty rough with joysticks and tend to twist and contort them in ways that would probably loosen the cap while playing. Some kind of retractable/telescoping mechanism (like lanman suggested) would be the best solution. - sounds like a good idea tho, if I had more technical ingenuity I would be of more help, sry.

[XtraSmiley]

First, not to rain on your parade, but I think it would cost to much and you would not sell enough.  BUUUUT, great thinking and don't stop coming up with stuff.  That's how cool things get invented.

As for the idea itself, I think a whole removable top would be the way to go.  A bat handle would screw on for normal games, than a handle with a button in to would screw on for button games.  That way even if you had a cap, it wouldn't work it's way off during gaming.

[meequalgreat]

I love this idea, the first thing that came to my mind of was those NOS or passenger eject buttons characters in movies always have hidden in their gear shifts. If you could hack one of these and somehow use it as your topfire joystick top that might work, and it wouldn't be too expensive either.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Black-Anodized-Shift-Knob-with-Nitrous-Starter-Button_W0QQitemZ110029258079QQcmdZViewItem

[Dudeman]

Sorry to Bogart the thread... but what new joystick frm Randy?

[Kaytrim]

Sorry to Bogart the thread... but what new joystick frm Randy?

Randy at Groovy Game Gear is in the process of finishing development of his own 49-way joystick.  There will also be updates to the GPWiz49 to be released with the new joystick.

TTFN
Kaytrim

[shorthair]

I would think an embedded button - for example like the Acteck stick on their single-player panels - would be ideal. (Of course, you can't even get these units in the states, but perhaps you could get something like the stick in it made.)

http://www.retroblast.com/reviews/Acktek-eng-03052006-01.html

[ChadTower]

The FPS control scheme on an arcade control panel is a difficult one.  I've been working on it in my bartop thread for quite some time.

[RayB]

A top-fire in that shape is not a bad idea, but "hiding" the button is completely pointless.

[SirPeale]

Check out the Quake arcade game control panel for some hints.

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=Q&game_id=9188

[Kremmit]

Check out the Quake arcade game control panel for some hints.

http://www.klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=Q&game_id=9188

Interesting... no stick.  Trackball for mouselook/aim/steering, and then buttons for forward/back and strafe_right/strafe_left, along with jump, shoot and that yellow mystery button.  I'd think it was "run", but there's a heck of a lot more letters under it.   

[Organic Jerk]

I'd think it was "run", but there's a heck of a lot more letters under it.   

Looks like it says "Change Weapon"...


It's definitely an interesting setup, although my trackball buttons don't lead themselvs to be as semi-comfortable as the attack one seems ..


I definitely like the nitro button application from meeq... If I had enough money I would try messing around with it..

A top-fire in that shape is not a bad idea, but "hiding" the button is completely pointless.

Well I wouldn't care if it were "hidden" really, just that the standard shape be kept intact for regular games, leaving the topfire button available when needed.  If it were a transparent (or colored translucent) cover, that would actually look pretty cool

[Kremmit]

I'd think it was "run", but there's a heck of a lot more letters under it.   

Looks like it says "Change Weapon"...

Duh.  Should have thought of that.

[RayB]

You might also want to look at the controls for Warzaid or whatever that FPS deathmatch game is.... It's trackball + trigger stick.

[RayB]

Hey Organic jerk,  I love your "Pixel Assault" logo. But man was I disappointed when I saw it was just a MAME cabinet!  I thought you were making a retro space shooter game.

[ChadTower]

You might also want to look at the controls for Warzaid or whatever that FPS deathmatch game is.... It's trackball + trigger stick.

That's what I've been working on for my control scheme... there will be more buttons for a couple less used functions, but most functions will be trackball and trigger stick, probably weapon change on the thumb side.